Evaluation · An evaluation study that usually runs over several weeks after a programme; not a session format.
Brinkerhoff's Success Case
The Success Case Method evaluates a training or change initiative by finding the participants who got the most and least value from it and studying why. It produces credible, story-based evidence of impact and shows which factors in the organisation help or block the use of learning.
When to use Brinkerhoff's Success Case
Use it when you need to show impact of a programme quickly and convincingly, or to learn why some participants apply the learning and others do not.
How Brinkerhoff's Success Case works
Built-in reflection helps identify success patterns.
Phases of Brinkerhoff's Success Case
- Focus: Agree with stakeholders what the initiative is meant to achieve and draw an impact model: what successful use of the learning would look like and what results it should produce.
- Survey: Send a short survey to all participants to find the most and least successful cases of applying the learning. It sorts people; it is not the main evidence.
- Interview: Interview a selection of success and non-success cases to document what they did, what results followed and which factors helped or blocked them.
- Communicate: Share the findings as concrete stories and conclusions with stakeholders, including what to change in the training and in the work environment to create more success cases.
Key principles
- Study the extremes, not the average
- Learning impact depends on the work environment
- Evidence through verified stories
- Evaluate to improve, not just to prove
Best for
- Evaluating leadership and training programmes
- Reporting impact to stakeholders
- Identifying barriers to transfer
- Programme improvement
Considerations
- Does not measure average effect across all participants; it deliberately looks at extremes.
- Interviews require time and skill to verify claims.
- Needs enough time after the programme for people to apply the learning.
Attribution & sources
Developed by Robert O. Brinkerhoff, 2003
Design a session with Brinkerhoff's Success Case
METODIC builds a complete Brinkerhoff's Success Case-based session — methods, timing, worksheets, and facilitator guides — in minutes.